Welcome to 3rd Grade
I am so excited to begin our new school year! It is my goal to make learning fun and provide various ways for our 3rd grade students to learn, develop, and apply material covered. Important school and class policies will be covered in this letter. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me via email jmottram@stmarys-temple.org or call the school phone 254-778-8141. I am available for conferences after school and can arrange meetings during the day. Thank you for your support and for sending your child to St. Mary’s Catholic School. We are going to have a GREAT year!
Your child will be part of a Christian community that will work together to grow in knowing, loving, and serving God. We are blessed to have the opportunity to share our faith with others. Students will be encouraged to share what they learn with their families.
Rules:
We will recite the following rules daily and students will be asked to identify and exhibit behaviors that exemplify each rule.
Behavior:
Students will be given opportunities to practice following the rules and reflect on their behavior. I am NOT an advocate for punishing the masses for the negative behavior of the few; rather, I prefer to deal with behavioral issues on an individual basis whenever possible.
In the event that a student doesn’t follow the rules, they will receive a warning and opportunity to redirect their behavior. If the behavior continues the student will lose privileges and/or there will be communication with the parents. A well behaved class learns at optimal levels AND has fun doing so.
Monday - Website
Every week on Monday morning the Third grade website will be ready to find information regarding learning objectives (TEKS) that will be taught during the week and information about upcoming events. Daily homework will be included in the Take Home Folder and posted daily on the website and/or email via RenWeb. All homework is due the following day unless specified. Homework will be a part of their final grade.
Take Home Folder:
Students have a take home folder that should be returned to school daily. Inside the folder is the calendar with school events and an area where you and I can communicate.
Recess:
Students will have outdoor recess twice daily, with the exception of extreme weather conditions. It is important that students stay well hydrated. Please send a filled water bottle to school with your child daily. Water will be provided for children to keep their water bottles filled. As the weather cools, please send students to school with appropriate outerwear.
Dress Code: All Uniforms must come from Risse Uniform Company
Field Trips (None this Fall)
Parents will be needed to provide transportation for field trips. Parents must be in compliance with the Diocesan requirements when volunteering at St. Mary’s. All volunteers within the Catholic Church are required to complete an application that will be kept on file with the Diocese and attend an Ethic and Integrity in Ministry (EIM) workshop every three years. More information can be found at www.austindiocese.org. The link directing you to the correct section of the website is eAppsDB.
Drop-off and Dismissal:
Students may be dropped off in the cafeteria beginning at 7:00 a.m. before school. They will be supervised until 7:45 a.m. when they will be released to their classrooms. You may choose to park and walk your student inside the building beginning at 7:45 a.m. All students should be prepared for the day by 8:00 a.m. to join the school in the Pledge of Allegiance and opening prayer. It is extremely important that your child is in the classroom by 8:00 a.m.
We will dismiss at 3:30 p.m. after closing prayer. Students will be escorted to the cafeteria by the teacher unless you meet them at the classroom door immediately after announcements and prayer. Additional guidance on Drop-off/Dismissal was sent out with specific changes.
Curriculum:
Students will receive instruction in the following classes: Math, Language Arts, Religion, Science, Social Studies, Music, Art, Physical Education, Latin and Spanish. The TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) are the objectives that will be taught for the academic subjects of Math, Language Arts, Social Studies (Medieval World Studies), and Science (Chemistry). The standards for Religion are provided by the Diocese.
Our religion curriculum comes from the Diocese of Austin. Our textbook is “Spirit of Truth: The Kingdom of God and the Church” by Sophia Institute.
Accelerated Reader Program:
We utilize Accelerated Reading to help students improve their reading skills. Students will take a computerized test to assess their reading level and identify areas for improvement. With this information, students will create goals for each grading period and will then take a test to show comprehension. The program will track their progress, keep a record of the books they’ve read and their success on the tests. Students are expected to read daily and record their reading log.
Birthdays and other celebrations:
If we find out after school starts we have a student who is allergic to any food we will not celebrate birthdays with food. Please do not send in cupcakes or cookies, etc. You may send in a treat bag with no food. Thank you so much for understanding!
God bless us as we begin our new school year and help each and every one of us toward the development of our students.
Thank you again for your support. We make a partnership for your child’s learning and this partnership is even more important during this most challenging time. Together we will get through this. PLEASE contact me (jmottram@stmarys-temple.org) with any questions or concerns.
Thank you and I’m looking forward to seeing all of you on August 10th!
3rd GRADE ROCKS!
Mr. Mottram (John)